By Meredith G. White
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Fine arts
students at Middle Tennessee State University debuted their original artwork in
a new exhibit titled “Kinda Infinity & Sorta Beyond” from Nov. 18-26 at the
Todd Art Gallery.
The Todd Art Gallery, located on the
MTSU campus at 1301 East Main St., spotlighted the works of seniors who are
completing their studies toward Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. The artists who
debuted their work were Sara Benton, Acacia Blue, Lindsey Isbell, Scott
Sulfridge, and Russ White. Although the exhibit closed at the Todd Art Gallery
on Nov. 26, the gallery regularly spotlights artists. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The gallery is located inside of the
Todd Art Building on the MTSU campus. One can find the main room directly to the left after walking through the front doors. The spacious gallery continues on the right, across the hall from the main room. The exhibit is open to the general
public, and it is always free for those who wish to take a look at the art
inside.
“The artists are given a time period
they are allowed to have, and they come up with the theme, title and design of
the space,” said Gallery Director Eric V. Snyder. “They work together to put
everything in place the way they want it.”
The artists ask their supervisors
and the gallery director questions if they have them, but the whole concept of
the exhibit is up to the artists themselves.
All of the pieces made bold
statements that kept one staring at the work in hopes of figuring out where the
artists were going and thinking when they created them. Every piece seemed to
tell a personal story and have its own background story connected directly to
the artists themselves. There were only four artists for this exhibit, but the
gallery was filled with their different pieces, and there was not a blank space
left in the room.
One of the more interesting pieces
was a mixed media installation titled “Le Chemin (The Way)” by Sara Benton. The work depicted an abandoned swing surrounded by fallen leaves and had a projection
of a girl swinging behind it. It was a
hauntingly beautiful piece.
 |
| Sara Benton's piece "Le Chemin (The Way)" |
“My work deals largely with themes
of identity, relationships and gender as they cycle from individual to
communal,” said Benton when explaining the type of art she produces. Her
installation art was displayed in a separate room across from the gallery
because of its large size.
One of the other artworks was a
painting brushed by Acacia Blue. The acrylic on panel was titled “Comfort” and
depicted three sections of a girl lying down with a floral print behind her.
This piece struck viewers not only as different, but also very personal.
 |
| Acacia Blue's piece "Comfort" |
“I have taken the classic Venus of
the old masters and replaced her passive languishing with strength and agency,”
said Blue. “These bodacious babes appear within a
visually playful, candy-colored oblivion landscape in which they turn their
anxieties and longing into magic flowing from their bodies”.
The “Kinda Infinity & Sorta Beyond”
exhibit featured a mix of digital illustrations, videos, sculptures, paintings,
screen prints, mixed media, and installation art, creating a very diverse
experience for the public to enjoy.
 |
| Scott Selfridge's piece "Fused" (concrete). |
 |
| Russ White's piece "Robot Mastication" (acrylic). |
The Todd Art Gallery will host its annual Department of Art Seasonal Scholarship Sale from Dec. 1-3. Hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. – Noon on Wednesday. All
proceeds will go to the Department of Art scholarships with all art donated
by MTSU art faculty, staff, alumni, students, working artists, and art
enthusiasts. To learn more about the gallery, visit www.mtsu.edu/art/barngallery/ .
# # #
No comments:
Post a Comment